Overview
Discovering prehistoric civilisation in the wildest heart of Sardinia
The nuragic archaeological site in Barumini is one of the many all-Italian gems recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located in the wildest heart of Sardinia, at the foot of the Giara di Gesturi plateau. Here stands one of the most famous defensive complexes of the Bronze and Iron Age, the Nuraghe settlement of Barumini known as Su Nuraxi. Visiting this place, which has survived the passage of centuries, is like travelling back in time to the second millennium BC, when it was inhabited by the Nuragic civilisation that still today remains shrouded in mystery.
Visitors find before them an imposing 18-metre-high nuraghe tower surrounded by a bastion consisting of four side towers, joined by walls, and a crescent-shaped courtyard with a 20-metre-deep well. Much of the original complex has been lost to time, but what remains is enough to give a glimpse of this unique style of prehistoric architecture.
For a day dedicated entirely to the Nuragic civilisation, you can combine a visit to the Barumini complex with a tour of the Casa Zapata museum centre, just a few minutes from the site. There, among transparent flooring and suspended walkways, you can admire another of the great “nuraghi” discovered in the area.
